1 Speech Functions

Speech functions (Martin, 1992: 36) is a semantic aspect of meaning which is realized by

mood at the level of lexicogrammar. That means mood is talking about the structure of the sentence

and the speech function is talking about the meaning of the sentence. Both of them should be

realize in the sentence. In this case, speech functions should be realized by moods, they are (1)

declarative, (2) interrogative, and (3) imperative. All of these are the representation of human

beings utterances in their communication. Therefore, speech functions are used to exchange

human’s experiences through language function by using interpersonal meaning and realized by

mood.

2.1.1 Types of Speech Functions

According to Martin (1992: 45) the speech functions network can now elaborated which

follow:

1) Call [attending: calling/initiating] John

2) Greeting [attending: greeting/initiating] See you.

3) Exclamation [negotiating: reacting/initiating] Utter rubbish!

4) Offer [ negotiating: exchanging:

giving/goods & service] Let me get you a beer.

5) Command [negotiating: exchanging:

Demanding/goods & services] Get me a beer.

6) Statement [ negotiating: exchanging: giving/

Information/ initiating] He was won.

Question [negotiating: exchangin g:

7) Demanding/information/initiating] Has he won?.

 That means speech functions have many various forms in the sentence because the sentences are

the unity of the kinds of structure which have the meaning of the sentences. In the other hand,

according to Saragih (2004: 12) speech functions are summarized as follows:

a) Giving/ information = statement [ They play football]

b) Demanding/information = question [ Do they play football]

c) Giving/goods & services = offer [ Let us play football]

d) Demanding/goods & services = command [ Play the football]

There are four speech functions used in a communication, they are statement, offer,

question, and command. All of them are realized by mood to perform two roles, namely Giving

and Demanding, while the two exchanges may be either Information or Goods & Services, are

described in the following Saragih (2005: 12).

Commodity (a) good & services (b) information

Role in exchange
(1) Giving ‘offer’ ‘statement’
Let us play the football They are playing the football
(2) Demanding ‘command’ ‘question’
Play the football! What are they playing?
Table 1.1: Types of Speech Functions.

With reference to systemic functional linguistic theories, as developed by Halliday (1994: 69) and

other systemicists, the four speech functions are summarized as follows:

1) Giving/information = statement

2) Demanding/information = question

3) Giving/ goods & services = offer

4) Demanding/ goods & services = command

 From the statement above, the types of speech functions have simple; it will be easier to divide the

types of speech functions in the several sentences. It will be focused in this research.

Realization of Speech Function in Mood

Halliday (1994: p. xx) the relation between the semantics and the grammar is one of

realization: the wording ‘realizes’, or encodes, the meaning. The wording, in turn, is ‘realized by’

sound or writing. There is no sense in asking which determines which; the relation is a symbolic

one. It is not possible to point to each symbol as an isolate and ask what it means; the meaning is

encoded in the wording as an intergreted whole. From the statement, it can conclude that semantics

and grammar both of them can not separate each other in the sentence. In relation from that

statement, there is another theory about semantics and grammar which call speech function as

discourse semantics and mood as lexicogrammar. The four speech functions (statement, question,

offer, and command) find their realization in mood which is an aspect on interpersonal function at

the level of lexicogrammar. The representation of speech function ‘statement’ is realized by

‘declarative’, ‘question’ is realized by ‘interrogative’, and ‘command’ is realized by ‘imperative’.

However, the speech function of ‘offer’ does not have an unmarked representation of Mood. It is

realized by any one of the four speech functions. The unmarked realizations of the speech functions

are realized in moods following Saragih (2005: 13).

 Speech Function

Statement Offer

Question Command

= ‘realized by’ Mood

Declarative O

Interrogative Imperative

Figure 1.1: Realization of Speech Functions in Mood

Further elaboration is presented in Table 1.2

Speech Function Mood Examples

Statement Declarative He came to the office yesterday
Question Interrogative Did you go to the movie?
Command Imperative Open the door!
Offer - Let me take the book for you